Package opener



S. WYRES PACKAGE OPENER June 11, 1940.

Filed arch 28, 1938 NVENTOR TTORNEY Patented June 11, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

f This invention relates to a package opener and one particularly adapted for opening small packages such as are commonly used for the packaging of soap products, cereals, and other household commodities.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of a package opener having the knife thereof adjustable as to the depth of the cutting blade.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a package opener so formed, that the knife portion thereof may be easily removed and replaced when desirable.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a package opener, the knife portion of which is so designed that it may be moved into a safety position in which position the knife blade is entirely sheathed.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a package opener, the various parts of which can be locked together .in an operating position by the use of a simple clamp member.

The package opener shown and described herein has been designed primarily for use in opening small packages and particularly those used in packaging household commodities. While various forms of package openers are known to the art, the package opener shown and described herein constitutes an important advance in its provision of the adjustable knife. This adjustable knife enables the user to vary the cutting depth of the knife blade and to move the knife blade into a protected position or safety zone, thus providing an obviously safe tool for household use.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is an enlarged side elevation of the package opener with parts broken away.

Figure 2 is an enlarged top elevation of the package opener.

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the package opener taken on lines 3 3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view of a modification of a package opener, this form of View more clearly illustrating the modification.

By referring to the drawings it will be seen that the invention comprises a package opener adapted to be used in cutting along the top cor- 5 ners of a cardboard package and constitutes a semi-L shaped frame having a horizontal portion I and a vertical portion 2. Positioned on the upper surface of the horizontal portion I of the frame there is provided an upwardly extending 10 looped portion 3 of the frame. I

This upwardly extending looped portion 3 forms a channel' and a receptacle for a knife. The knife comprises a handle 4 which is shaped in a manner rto conform with the upwardly exl5 tending looped portion 3 of the frame and is of slightly smaller size so that it can be slideably positioned within the upwardly extending looped portion 3 of the frame. Positioned in the upper end of this knife handle 4 there is a short section 20 of shaft 5 havinga knob 6 formed thereon which serves as a convenient finger grip of the knife handle when adjusting the device.` Positioned in a slideable manner in the opposite end of the knife handle 4', there is a blade holder 'I which 25 is formed in a shape similar to the knife holder 4 of slightly smaller size and adapted to be slideably positioned therein. Positioned within this blade holder 'I and preferably spot-welded thereto, there is a blade 8.

It will be seen that due to the formation of the device and the angle upon which the upwardly extending looped portion 3 is formed, any movement of the knife 4 and its blade 8 will result in either in increasing or decreasing the amount of cutting edge exposed in relation to the horizontal portion I of the frame. It will also be seen that when it is necessary to replace the blade 8, the entire knife may be removed from the device by simply sliding it upwardly and outwardly of the looped portion 3 of the frame, the blade 8 and blade holder 'I may then be removed from the knife handle 4 and replaced with a replacement unit.

By again referring to the drawing it will be seen that as a means of maintaining the knife in an operative position, a clamping device comprising a slotted clamping bar 9, pivoted at a point I0 to a bracket I I which is in turn attached to the horizontal portion I of the frame, preferably by spot-welding. A slot I2 in this slotted clamping bar 9 is adapted to engage the parallel sections of the upwardly extending looped portion 3 of the frame, thus clamping these parallel sections together and rmly holding the knife handle 4 and the knife blade 8 in position. It will thus be seen that the clamping device is simply a relatively small piece of flat material pro-- vided with a cut out portion near one of its ends and pivoted to the horizontal portion I of the frame at its other end. The cut out portion being the slot I2 and is of sufficient size to pass over the end sections of the device just below the upwardly extending looped portion 3 thereof. In Figure l this clamping device is shown on the package opener in a side elevation and in Figure 2 the clamping device is shown on the package opener in top plan view with the cut out portion or slot I2 engaging the edges of the upwardlyy extending loop portion 3. l

In order that the device may be more easily moved along the top corners of a cardboard package the outer extremities of the horizontal and vertical sections I and 2 of the frame are lpreferably formed with a slightly curved edge I3.

By referring to Figure 4 of the drawing a cross section View of a modification 'of the device will be seen. In this modification the adjustable knife is positioned in an upwardly extended looped portion I5 at the corner especially adapted for the opening of cigarette packages and the like, as the sides I6 and I'I of the frame will serve to force the corner of the cigarette package'upwardly, and away from the cigarettes thus allowing vthe knife I 4 to conveniently cut cigarette packages. v The view of the modification is greatly enlarged. 4

What I claim is: Y

1. A package opener `comprising a section of suitable material formed into a semi-L shaped frame having an upwardly extended loopedA portion formed at an angle thereto, the said upwardly extended looped portion forming a channel, a knife positioned in the said channel, the said knife comprising a knife handle formed similarly to the said upwardly extended looped portion of the frame, a blade holder of similar shape and adapted to be positioned in a slideabvle manner within the said knife handle, a double edged cutting blade positioned in the said blade holder, for the purpose of providing a knife formed of replaceable units, a slotted clamping bar pivoted to the horizontal portion of the semi-Lshaped frame and adapted to engage the said upwardly extending looped portion of the frame for the purpose of clamping them together and locking the said knife in position therein.

2. A package opener comprising a semi-L shaped frame having an upwardly extended looped portion formed thereon and adjacent to the corner of the said L shaped frame, the said upwardly extended looped portion forming a channel at an angle to the said L shaped portion of the frame, Aa knife positioned within the said channel in an adjustable manner, the said knife comprising a knife handle, a blade holder positioned Within the said knife handle, and a blade positioned within the said blade holder, and the entire knife assembly positioned within the said channel in such manner that movement of the said knife in the channel will either increase or decrease the cutting portion of the blade, and also provide a safety zone at which point the entire cutting blade is sheathed, the said upwardly extended looped portion formed so as to exert sufficient tension upon the said knife as to hold the same in position therein. i

3. A package opener comprising a semi-L shaped frame having an upwardly extended looped portion formed thereon and adjacent to the corner of the said L shaped frame, the said upwardly extended looped portion forming a channel at an angle to the said L shaped portion of the frame, a knife positioned Within the said channel in an adjustable manner, the said knife comprising a knife handle, a blade holder positioned within the said knife handle, and a blade positioned within the said blade holder, and the SAMUEL WYREs, 

